A Day in the Life
by Dura Sinai
Summary: Story 3: When trying to get answers from Viki, Perrault comes to the conclusion that some things simply are not easily explained.
1. A Time to Wind Down

**A Time to Wind Down**

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_This is the first chapter in the "Day in the Life" series. The basic intent is to do a series of one-shots focusing on the more everyday affairs and character interactions. Why? Because nobody can focus entirely on war and battles every day. I do intend on keeping characterization as much in check as possible (and if it goes into characters that are given no personality beyond their recruitment line to make something plausible out of that) and not go into fantasy pairings. _

_First up are a good number of characters from Suikoden 2, focused on the ever popular Flik. Simply I thought the idea was somewhat humorous and something I see as a plausible event considering the frequency of certain characters visiting the tavern._

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"Sir Flik? Wake up! You're needed!" a loud voice called from just inside the small chamber he claimed for a room. Jostled awake by the noise, Flik awoke, senses slowly sending information to him.

He was needed? Had Highland made un unexpected move? No, it was too quiet for that. A battle would be raging by then or at the very least there would be the sounds of a city of soldiers rushing to battle.

Perhaps that strategist, Shu came up with some late night brainstorm. But couldn't that wait at least until morning?

Unable to come up with a logical explanation, he finally forced his body to turn toward the young man, judging by his uniform a citizen of Muse and finally croaked, "What's going on?"

Giving a quick salute, the soldier continued, "It's the tavern! Miss Leona insisted on me bringing you down there."

Puzzled, Flik sat up and shook his head, hair falling into his face without his bandana to hold the front portion back. Why was he needed in the tavern to begin with unless…

"What trouble did Viktor start this time?" he asked as he rose from the comfort of bed and tiredly slipped his boots onto his bare feet. Only the wild drunken bear-man would cause enough trouble where he would be fetched to retrieve him.

"Just follow me, sir." The soldier stated, never giving an explanation. It was as good confirmation Flik could ask for.

Walking through the heart of the North Window headquarters in the dead of night was never an easy task. It was bad enough for Flik to be hardly awake, but with the lights dimmed throughout the town, it made it easy to miss a corner or stumble on an exhausted guard who happened to fall asleep at his post.

In fact it didn't take long before a high pitched yelp came from the nearly pitch-black corridor.

"Hey! Watch it!" the voice quickly returned, followed by a firm jab to the leg.

The voice sounded male but definitely too young to be one of the local soldiers that migrated from one of the various cities. That left few possibilities and none of them particularly good.

"Well, better he stepped on you. If you weren't there he probably would have hurt poor Bright."

Grimacing, Flik was reminded of who he was dealing with… an overzealous and hot tempered ninja in training and the kid who seemed to carry that baby dragon everywhere. So now the question was where troublemaker number three was hiding.

"You and that silly dragon! All it does is eat, sleep and poop!"

Hearing the squabbling, Flik turned in their direction and sighed, "Don't you kids sleep? Besides don't any of you have actual parents to scold you?"

A slight breeze rushed through the hallway. It seemed to crawl up the older man's neck before a faint light emanated from before him. "So… we should sleep like good little boys so that you can sneak off and drink yourself into a stupor?"

Sure enough, the bland voice of a cynical teenager came, but from which direction? An unnatural breeze blew through the corridor and was enough to disguise the young mage's location. Luc was certainly a brat but there was no denying he had talent.

"Luc, I don't have time for your shenanigans." Flik retorted, gazing about the shadows and keeping one eye trained on the still bickering pair of boys in front of him. "Do me a favor and show yourself before I get angry."

The small breeze grew stronger, causing Sasuke and Futch to promptly silence themselves, the dragon knight apprentice taking great care to protect Bright from what was to come. Flik was hardly lucky as he felt his body being carried off from the ground and held suspended in midair.

It was then that the boy revealed himself, his face stoic and his hand outstretched slightly as he commanded the air to his whims. "What are you going to do? Scold me like a parent? I'm still a child you know. Besides, you bore me anyway."

With that, the flow of air abruptly ended and the man known as the 'Blue Lightning' took a harsh fall to the ground. Muttering under his breath, he watched the three boys promptly scurry off. Tomorrow he would deal with their potential punishments. However he had one other troublemaker to deal with before he could get his proper rest.

Making his way through the darkened hallways without much incident; a sentry sleeping at his post had to be aroused; Flik managed to enter the tavern and witness the scene before him.

Several tables had been overturned and at least one chair lay in fragmented slivers across the floor. Liquor bottles were both stacked and strewn in various places. Leona was found holding up Armada against one shoulder and the other wiping down one of the countless spills from the table.

Shaking his head, Flik undraped the heavy man, marveling at just how strong the barmaid truly was. "Rough night I see."

Sighing, Leona gathered another bottle and tossing it with a good number of the others in a pile on one corner of the room. "Well, they won't be doing this again for awhile. Our next supply shipment isn't due for another three weeks."

Flik smirked as he maneuvered the now half conscious man toward the outdoor entrance, he commented, "So they really drank the place bone dry, huh?"

"I have a small stash of good wine that they didn't get into." She commented, taking a broom to clean up the green and brown shards of shattered glass along with the remnants of the chair. "Once this gets cleared up we should share a bottle."

Nodding as Armada toppled over onto the cobblestone walkway and passing out once again, Flik nodded. After this night a bit of booze might be the proper medicine. "Sounds like a plan…So, I was expecting Viktor to somehow be involved in all of this."

Without a word, the pretty brunette pointed toward the counter where she served drinks. It took a moment for Flik to figure what she was pointing at until he approached closer and could see a very drunk and unconscious Viktor sprawled amidst even more broken glass and with a puddle of various alcohols drenching him. Unsure whether to be concerned or amused, Flik simply asked, "do I want to know?"

"He decided that it was a great stage to perform a toast and perform a bit of a dance," Leona explained, "since the tables and chairs didn't fare too well. It didn't take him long to lose his balance and fall off."

Shaking the bear-like man gently, Viktor made no movement. "He hasn't woken up since then?"

"No," Leona said, "that's why I wanted to get you. I can't move him by myself and I doubt Dr. Huan would be much better for this. It would probably do him some good to get looked at and probably sober up if nothing else."

Nodding, Flik grunted as he hoisted the heavyset man over his back, straining to raise himself with the additional weight. "Alright, I'll dump this guy over in the infirmary and come help you with the mess."

It took some time to make the short trek to the ward where injured and ill soldiers were cared for. The awkward positioning of Viktor across his body made it virtually impossible to balance without heavy reliance on the walls.

Along the way, it was tempting for Flik to complain to his friend. Complain about how he had wasted nearly an hour of good sleeping time to his drunken escapades. Or about how he seemed to put on a bit of weight since they fought together in Toran. Despite the fact that his friend was unable to hear him, it was fun to think of what was inevitably going to be said as a scolding. It was nothing new and simply part of a well known routine between the friends.

Cautiously stepping over yet another guard, this one a former soldier from Muse, who had fallen asleep at his post, the two friends arrived in the infirmary. A soft light illuminated this room at all hours, so it was not difficult to find an empty bed to deposit Viktor's deadweight.

A gentle knock on the doctor's door, he waited until he was met by a bleary eyed young doctor. "Ah, sir Flik, is there a problem that needs to be attended to?"

"Eh, just bringing the old bear over to get looked at," Flik said, "he took a fall in the tavern a bit ago and seemed to have knocked himself out. He's probably fine but if you could just take a quick look at him."

Nodding, the doctor disappeared into his quarters for a moment before reappearing with a handbag of supplies and dressed in the starch white nightgown he had worn to bed. Quick to awaken, he followed Flik in the direction of the drunken patient, who had turned in such a manner that he was nearly fallen out of the bed.

After positioning Viktor into a more comfortable position, Dr. Huan quickly and efficiently inspected his patient's body, paying particular attention to the small lump that had formed beneath the unruly locks of black hair.

While this happened, Flik made himself cozy on a nearby stool, half drifting off to sleep propped up against the wall. The long night was finally wearing down on him and even a few moments' rest seemed like heaven. War was hardly a great influence on one's sleep patterns.

It took scarcely a few minutes before he finished his checkup with a smile. "He's not in any danger," the doctor explained, "He might at the worst have a small concussion from hitting his head but otherwise he just needs to rest and let his body sober up."

Startled awake by the announcement, Flik stumbled to his feet. "Ah, good. That's a relief."

Taking notice of the young warrior's swaying, Huan, gently escorted Flik toward a nearby cot that was unoccupied. "You look like you are about to collapse from exhaustion. At this rate you'll never make it back. Why don't you rest here for the night?"

The offer sounded tempting and Flik knew he didn't have the energy remaining to contest the decision. His head hit the pillow and before he drifted to sleep he mumbled to himself "I guess I'll have to get that wine from Leona a bit later."

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_That seems to be it for now. I am finishing up the second piece now. Just a warning to anyone who got this far in that there will be no correlation between each chapter as they are basically standalones with a central theme of being tales of possible happenings between random encounters and large scale battles. _

_Oh yeah, review or not, I frankly don't care. It's fun and I am only going to write as long as I have the time needed and an idea. So no need to go nuts with undeserved compliments in hope that the ego is stroked just enough to get 'inspiration'. As of now I have a number of ideas, some that seem good and some that once I get to actually putting the idea to words seems to be less than the grand idea I thought it was. _


	2. Genuine

**Genuine**

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The second in the "Day in the Life" series. And for all the fan girls bound to read into this too much… NO! Friendship only! No Yaoi! There is no reason for those two to be together in any way shape or form. However at the end of the third game (well, if you play Luc's chapter at least) you get a nice little scene and made the wheels turn as to if there could possibly be a friendship. However I am not into ridiculous pairings. _

_It takes place sometime in chapter five. Unlike the first chapter this sticks to two characters exclusively and is far more seriousthan the somewhat silly antics of the first story. One thing that I tried to get properly is Sasarai's mannerisms, trying to blend the more formal leadership mannerisms with his general casualness. Thomas is simply fun as he is very sweet and can relate to a good number of people. And he does try so hard to get things right.

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Drops of dew soaked into the bottom of his sleepwear once the soft fabric settled. This was ignored as is bare feet spread, half immersed in the frigid water of the lake. The inhabitants of the castle were mostly asleep, leaving just the sound of crickets to entertain him.

Reaching to his side, he grasped the ceramic mug that had been brought out, gaze focused on the steam rising from the warm liquid before taking a small sip. It quickly warmed his body and his nerves relax.

In the distance, he could faintly hear the old oak door to the basement creak open and immediately glanced back to see who was joining him at such a late hour.

Apparently the new companion was just as surprised at the company as he jumped slightly. "I'm sorry Bishop Sasarai, I didn't mean to disturb you."

Shaking his head he replied, "Not at all. I was simply taking a few moments to clear out my head." The young bishop smirked as the young boy before him, Thomas, fidgeted a bit, unsure what to say. "If you wish to join me, feel free to do so."

Hesitantly Thomas took a seat next to Sasarai and the two sat with silence for a moment, motionless except for the occasional sip of tea.

"So… is everything okay for you here?" Thomas started after a few moments, "I know it's cramped here with so many people and it's not in great shape…"

"A ship is half embedded into the walls, and I had to move a desk to keep my paperwork from being further ruined by the leaky roof." Sasarai stated in his calm monotone, causing Thomas to wince in shame and nervousness. However he promptly followed it by a slight laugh. "I don't really mind though. It makes things interesting to say the least. Dios on the other hand…"

A gust of wind left slight goose bumps on Thomas's skin, causing him to rub his hands together to generate heat. "You must really miss Harmonia though."

Sasarai bit his lip at that comment. Several months ago it would have been a foolish question. Yet he was uncertain about how to handle the truth of his existence, a well kept secret for over three decades. He didn't want to face thinking about who truly knew the truth within the walls he called home.

Effectively he felt lost for the first time and unable to find his usual confidence to resolve things. Silently he thought out the possible scenarios of what could be done. Stopping his brother was a certainty but from there things became much more muddled. It would be dealt with though with due time. He still faced responsibilities on the battlefield and at home.

But for now he was content being away so he could collect his bearings after the shock.

"Um, sir Bishop?" Thomas asked nervously.

Forcing a soft smile he broke his train of thought, "You may call me Sasarai. As far as your question, I do miss it. It's my home, so naturally I am attached to it."

"What is it like in Crystal Valley?" the boy inquired.

Closing his mind, the young bishop started visualizing his home city, "Well, it's quite large compared to any of the cities near here. Even we in the Circle Palace have no genuine estimate on how many reside in the boundaries. There are always people coming and going for every reason. It makes things rather lively and truly brings an array of cultures and ideas. Of course, I don't get out of the palace very often, so I am hardly the ideal person to ask about such matters."

Thomas listened as the Bishop spoke with a small smile. Initially he had been a bit wary when one of Harmonia's bishops suddenly decided to join the fire bringer with simply no reason. However, from the experiences he had thus far, any worry was unfounded. In fact, the young castle master was quite taken aback with how personable and nonchalant such an important figure in such a large nation.

"Perhaps when this is all over with I should take a short leave of absence," he continued, his voice growing soft, "It's been over fifteen years since I've been able to genuinely rest. I rather not become involved in another conflict for some time after this. I've seen more than my share of fighting and I haven't even lived a full lifespan yet."

Despite knowing that the man beside him was one of the bearers of the True Runes and was thus immortal, Thomas's eyes widened slightly. It was so easy to mistake Sasarai as someone still in the midst of adolescence, no older than himself. However his actual age showed in other ways, it showed so much more experience than Thomas could fathom obtaining.

The calm monotone voice of the bishop broke Thomas's train of thought, "Here we are going on about myself… what about yourself? Why are you wandering about this far into the night?"

"Well," the boy began nervously, "Cecile is the captain of the guards for this castle. Normally she does this during the night but I figured she needed a rest. The only way I could convince her was to t-take over for her."

Nodding a bit the brunette nodded, attempting to take another sip of tea only to realize that it was now drained completely. "So you've opted to be a fair master to the people here…"

Confused, Thomas bit his lip, "I guess I try." A brief paused followed, "I simply go with what seems right, yet I worry a lot. I don't know a thing about war and diplomacy and other countries. Until my mother died I hardly ever left the town. Everyone else seems so much more experienced at, well, everything."

"You simply have not been corrupted by the world yet." Sasarai interjected, drawing a confused appearance on the younger boy's face. "Politicians are corrupt, and I am no exception. You can actually relate to the people around you and gain their respect without fancy words or fear."

"But… I'm not really good at anything. "

With a small shake of his head Sasarai disagreed.

"I can't fight very well." Thomas elaborated, taking out his battered old sword to explain, "I once was attacking with Cecile and I managed to stick the sword in the ground. I still don't know how I got it out!"

Laughing slightly the older man remembered a story from his youth, "Well, I was once given a sword in an attempt to learn fencing. I spent a month confined to bed after the injuries I inflicted on myself. I've never attempted to use a sword since and most likely never will."

"You can use rune spells at least." Thomas replied, trying hard not to chuckle at his companion's story.

"Yes but you need to remember," Sasarai explained, "You're still quite young. I've been trained in using runes since I can remember. It is as much a trained skill as any scholarly studies. And even if you were not meant for the battlefield, you have your talents. Not just anybody could draw this many people from an entire continent to this drafty castle."

Chuckling slightly, Thomas nodded, "Yet I don't really know how it happened. And I think most of the credit really should go to the Flame Champion if anything else. He is the reason why everyone is here to begin with."

Knowing there was no way to convince the young lad otherwise, Sasarai simply went quiet. It was seldom that someone within the high ranks of Harmonian politics demonstrated such humble humility. No, most of the lower ranking officials often used any flattery as a means to bolster their position. That wasn't how things were here. Thomas was simply a kind, normal young man.

"You know, to be honest I was curious why you would come to a place such as this."

The bishop closed his eyes slightly and sighed. It was hardly something that he needed to tell the young boy. It was his own dilemma and he would take care of it personally. "Well, I certainly want to get my True Earth Rune back… And I do intend on paying Luc back for deceiving myself and just about everyone else in Harmonia with this entire war."

Confused, Thomas scratched his head, "But wouldn't it make sense to go back to Harmonia?" Thomas started, " I-I don't mean to offend. We need all the help we can get here but it just seemed…" he drifted off, not being able to finish.

"Sudden? Awkward?" Sasarai tried to finish, "I know it is. But I do have my own personal reasons for not returning just yet. There are some things I need to deal with."

The young looking bishop's eyes seemed to dull a bit and Thomas could see tears gathering in the corners, being forcibly held back. Something had happened to him at some point. He had looked slightly distraught when Thomas had first noticed him near the lakeshore. Now it seemed as though the high ranking bishop was breaking down.

Unsure of how to react, Thomas reached toward Sasarai's shoulder, explaining, "Do you need to talk about it at all?"

Just as the hand reached the fabric of his shirt, the arm pulled away with a quick jerk, Sasarai scrambling to his feet before he spoke, his voice cold and shaking, "Please, let's end this discussion. This has nothing to do with you! Leave me!"

Bewildered by the response, Thomas quickly rose to obey before the voice spoke again, calmer but still struggling to form words, "I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to be cross or uncouth. I am genuinely thankful of your concern but please understand that it is something I can't talk about."

Nodding slightly, Thomas continued toward the side door that lead into the basement level, "It's okay. If you need to talk though, just let me know. But I'll let you be for now. Don't stay out here too late though. I think we're supposed to head out again in the morning."

Turning toward the boy as he scampered off, Sasarai couldn't help but smirk. "Perhaps there are genuinely good people in this world after all. No wonder everyone flocked here. Maybe I can try and take that example."

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_Alright. Now on to the third one. It may be one of the only stories that will be done for Suikoden 4 but it undoubtedly is probably going to be the most fun to do. However it needs a lot of research. Thank goodness for the couple major websites that have every tidbit of Suikoden trivia and history.  
_


	3. Best Left Unanswered

**Best Left Unasnwered**

_It's amusing just how long something can sit virtually finished yet untouched for so long. And yes, that is probably my way of saying I decided to go hunting through hard drives and heaven forbid organizing various documents. This was one of them and well…some of the rest of what was found is best left unexplained. _

_I suppose the title should nearly give away the focus of this one. Yes, this time it is Viki and using the Suikoden 4 timeline. In reality the fourth game is being used because of its non-linearity compared to the previous three games and the gaidens, which works well for this time defying and eternally befuddled mage. Of course I don't think we will never know the true extent of her abilities._

_Oh yes and Suikox is a godsend for something like this. I must give credit as it was the primary source for researching things and fact checking. It's amazing the wealth of information considering the materials that will never see the light of day stateside. _

Removing a sharp blade from his pocket, Perrault fumbled around for a pencil to sharpen. His living quarters on the large ship doubled as his print headquarters. In fact, human habitation was certainly low in priority as notebooks and newsprint littered the room in semi-organized piles. Atop the wooden bed frame, rather than a mattress, was the small press he used to make his publications. It was harsh arrangements but every week a new edition was released.

Trapped on board a ship at all times, the newspaper had grown to contribute to social interactions among the ragged army men, particularly for those on board who grew bored of the stuffy library, or those with weak stomachs and could not handle the strong ale served at the tavern while the sea churned beneath them. In fact, Jango and Brec had most recently been seen with an older copy, slowly making out the words and omitting the ones too long to be bothered with.

If only the two pirates smelled a little better, Perrault would have enjoyed interviewing them for an article about the increasing literacy among the fledgling army.

However, he already had a story planned for the main page. Throughout various rumors and sources it had been pieced together that the lovely teleportress, Viki, was hardly as inexperienced as her appearance would suggest. There had been mentions of other conflicts in far away lands. Not to mention her rather unique magical abilities. It was a fascinating topic.

So now he was waiting for her to arrive, carefully angling the blade as he tore away at the wooden exterior, bringing the salvaged pencil to a sharp point. Pricking the sharpened point to his skin, he was satisfied and readied a half used notepad in his lap.

It didn't take long for Viki to arrive. A bit late, but nothing too bothersome. Perrault had time on his hands as he was never expected to venture out in a party, his duties restricted to the ship.

Of course he wasn't entirely prepared with how she would arrive. There was no creak of the door, nor footsteps to be heard. Just a quick 'pop' and she appeared from thin air no more than a foot from the printing press. Blinking with blank eyes, she glanced about the room before saying, "Um… I think I'm still on the ship… Where am I?"

Swatting a stack of old newspapers from the other available chair in the room, the journalist quickly urged her to take a seat. "Yes, Miss Viki. Remember? I asked you to speak with me for a few moments last week."

"Oh?"

"Yes, so please make yourself comfortable and we'll begin."

Plopping softly into the chair offered, the confused mage blinked a few times before asking. "Who are you again?"

At this point Perrault was at a loss of how to deal with this current client. He had never directly dealt with her before the last week when he requested the interview. However to say the least she didn't seem to be entirely intact. However he simply smiled kindly and explained, "I write the newspaper that the people on board this ship reads."

"Ship? But last I remember I was in this big house by the lake. There were a lot of people there too and a lot of fighting like there is now."

Alright, so now there was some substance to work off of. "You mean to say that you were involved in a prior war?"

Counting on her fingers, Viki's tongue stuck out from her mouth slightly as her brow furrowed in concentration. It lasted for approximately five seconds before the dazed glare resumed and the girl responded. "I think a lot."

Nodding, Perrault made a quick note before urging her to continue. "Well, if you can remember anything at all from any of them I would like to hear. Then later we can try and piece it together, okay?"

"Okay, well… there was one I remember." She stated, once again putting a considerable effort into sorting the pieces in her head, "Du… I think it started with a D. Dunan. I think that's right."

Nodding a bit, Perrault recalled several events that had lead to the nation falling and separating into separate independent city states. Most of the affairs were diplomatic and carried without long term violence, yet there were several rebellions.

However, there were still issues with this. Viki's physical appearance was approximately sixteen years or so. She was still a young woman. The final collapse of the Dunan nation had taken place decades ago, before even he was born. Despite this, he made sure that he scribbled the information as it was given. He can ask for details later.

"So you were involved in the breakup of Dunan?"

Hands dropping to her lap, Viki quickly shook her head back and forth. "Nope. It was put back together."

Not it was the writer's turn to be puzzled. He prided himself in his fact-finding abilities and considered himself rather well versed in history. He kept all the latest books and journals that were to be published. And despite his efforts, he could not remember Dunan ever being reunified. The hatred between the city states that had formed was a guarantee that each would remain separate.

"Are you sure you aren't confused Miss Viki? Surely you mean breakup. It's still broken from years ago."

Once again a firm shake of the head followed in the negative. "I remember that one pretty well. It wasn't that long ago since I was there."

Realizing that the discussion had stalled, it was time to move on to other things. However, it was quickly becoming obvious that a lot of fact checking would be necessary before the article would be ready to print. "Okay, so what was your rank during these conflicts?"

"Huh?"

"What were your tasks in the other wars?" Perrault quickly simplified the question. Maybe he should have done the improved literacy amongst the pirates article after all.

Raising her hand momentarily, a white flash engulfed the room. As it faded, it seemed that the two were no longer in the cramped print room but rather a maze. Perrault gazed about, taking note that the door next to him had a series of locks spanning the entire length. Only it wasn't connected to anything. Not the floor, a wall, or anything. It simply floated in the middle of nowhere.

Turning about, he could see Viki, now miniature sized, sitting on the wrong side of the staircase. Remarkably, the long hair remained as it should despite the fact that being upside down would usually cause problems.

"Again?"

The voice was remarkably similar, but more fitting of the small frame of the girl before him. But this wasn't right. "Viki?"

"Yes?" Two voices called out, causing the now sweating Perrault to jump in surprise. The adolescent Viki he knew had appeared behind him. He hadn't seen her a moment ago when he was watching the door.

Figuring that he was in some nightmare, Perrault said, "I-I think I must be dreaming."

The smaller of the teleportress sighed. "It is not wise to bring strange men home," she scolded before addressing the stranger, "I apologize for what has happened but please do not mention this place. She will ensure you arrive to your time safely."

Time? But that was impossible. However before anything could be said there was another flash of light before a city opened before him. It lasted only a moment, just long enough for him to hear Viki's soft "Oops" before it dissolved again.

This time when the light faded, a familiar creaking of wood could be heard. The somewhat dark room was familiar with its organized disarray. The familiar sway of the ship over the sea had returned and in the distance he could hear the sounds of pirates singing songs about drinking and of the children racing through the hallways outside. He had made it back safely.

"I messed up." The girl beside him explained, her head bowed slightly before she took her seat once again.

While the day's events had been strange to say the least, it was interesting material. Even if he couldn't pass it off as pure fact, perhaps he could write a fictional piece based on this. It would be better than a blank spot in the next edition and certainly would offer a break to those who complained about the material being too dry. "It's okay. But what was that?"

Softly biting her bottom lip, Viki said shyly, "You wanted to know what I did."

Eyebrows raising slightly, sense dawned on the writer, "So you instead showed me rather than explain it." He jotted a quick scribble before continuing, "Although was that strange place really home for you?"

"I think it is."

Continuing, "And that girl? She looked like a little version of you. Is she a sister?"

Blankly staring once again, Viki found herself unable to comprehend what was asked. "Sister?" she stated, slowly drawing the word out from her tongue. Finally she said, "But that was me."

Finally Perrault stopped writing. Nothing seemed to make any sense. There was no way that the girl was human. Being at a war half a century before could be explained. There were twenty-seven true runes after all and not all of them were ever accounted for at the same time. However, she seemed to know events that have never happened. And after seeing her 'homeland' it would not surprise him if she was telling the truth. What he had seen was not of his world or dimension. It was equally fascinating and frightening to think about.

But no words could possibly explain the phenomenon that he had experienced. Browsing through the jumble of words before them, nothing could be pieced together. And that placed him firmly at square one of his article.

Placing his notepad down, he stood. "Well, I suppose that's enough for today. You're really interesting Viki but I just don't know what to make of this. It's stranger than anything I've ever seen or heard about. I don't know how to write about it."

Saying nothing, Viki just stared.

"But it certainly was one of the most interesting days of my life. Thanks Miss Viki."

The girl left, the puzzled look failing to leave her face and Perrault found himself with no answers, only questions. In any normal circumstance he would quickly leap on such matters and use any means to achieve answers. However, there was no normal way to answer what he had heard, and seen. Viki couldn't explain anything and he felt no urgency to seek further answers from the confused mage.

Some things are best left unanswered.


End file.
